MSU-BOZEMAN FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
November 19, 2003
Members Present: Gipp, Stringam for Weaver, Johns for Kommers, Leech,
Taylor, Howard, Christopher, Seymour, Jones, Becker, Wells for Conant,
Ashley, Lansverk, Levy, Bogar, Kevane, Pratt, Neeley, Lynes-Hayes,
Coon.
Members Absent: Ag Econ, Giroux, McDermott, Schmidt, Jackson,
Schlotzhauer, Monaco, Yoo, Cell Biol, Taper, Chem, Bond, Idzerda,
Lynch, Prawdzienski, Knight, Hoffman.
Others Present: Bandyopadhyay, Fedock, McLeod.
The meeting was called to order at 4:10 by Chair Warren Jones. A
quorum was present. The minutes of the November 5, 2003, meeting were
approved as distributed.
Chair's report - Warren Jones.
- Two faculty nominations are being solicited for a position on
the TIP Committee, part of the TIP (To Improve Productivity)
Incentive Award Program. The program is designed to recognize
and reward employees who come up with cost savings innovations.
- The committee will make an initial determination regarding
the worthiness of each proposal and decide if it should be
forwarded for further review by the department it involves.
- Please contact Chair Jones with names of individuals
willing to be nominated. Two nominations will be submitted
to the President, who makes the appointments to the
committee.
- Lowell Goetting, Office of the Vice President for
Administration and Finance, may be contacted for further
information about the committee (lgoetting@montana.edu,
x2712).
- The Board of Regents is meeting in Bozeman this week. Meetings
are taking place in the SUB from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. tomorrow
and from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Friday.
- Negotiations with the MPEA bargaining unit resulted in a
proposal of 50% tuition waivers for dependents of employees,
if the employee has worked within the system for 5 years at
.75 FTE or greater. The Board of Regents are considering
the proposal that extends the benefit to all MSU employees.
The cost of the proposal could reach $1.4 million per year.
- Regent Roehm has presented an agenda item that states the
regents will not sanction setting enrollment caps on any
campus, especially for in-state students. However, students
must meet the qualifications of the unit they wish to
attend.
- Regent Roehm is also proposing a salary review study for
all employees in the university system. The study would
compare salaries of comparable positions outside of the
university with the Montana University Systems' salaries.
- Further discussion of Regent Mercer's pursuit of quality
indicators is on the agenda.
- Tomorrow, the regents will discuss tourism as a mechanism
for improving the state's economy - a role of the university
system, according to the regents.
- The Associated Students of MSU will support a resolution
proposed by the Montana Associated Students opposing Regent
Hur's proposal that organizations may collect money at
student registration using a check-off.
- After discussion of the issue, Shannon Taylor moved
that he, as Faculty Council Chair Elect, and Chair
Warren Jones be allowed to speak on behalf of Faculty
Council in support of ASMSU's resolution. The motion
was seconded and carried.
Faculty Affairs Committee report - Marvin Lansverk.
- The committee is editing Faculty Handbook language regarding
grievance procedures to clarify the grievance process. Most
revisions are not substantive. The proposed language will be
brought to Faculty Council as an amendment.
+/- grades.
- ASMSU President Scott McCarthy is unable to meet with Faculty
Council today due to an unexpected regent's budget meeting.
Discussion of +/- grading will be deferred until he is able to
attend a Council meeting.
Lists of names of late-registering and at-risk freshmen.
- Lists of names, by department, were distributed to Faculty
Council members by department.
- The purpose of the distribution is to improve retention of
students by having the advisor or another faculty contact
students registering late or with other factors making them
at-risk for not enrolling Spring Semester.
- Confidentiality is an important issue. Faculty are receiving
this information for academic purposes and it is not to be
distributed for any other reason. Students are to be contacted
only because they are late in registering.
- Faculty may choose to discuss the method in which to contact
the students with the department head.
- According to Chair Elect Taylor, this is the first time
students have been contacted before the end of the semester.
Faculty are asked to keep notes on conversations with students
and to give feedback on the process.
- An updated list of all late-registering students will be
available November 25, and Chair Jones will share these with
Faculty Council members.
Other.
- Faculty Council will not meet November 26.
- According to Vice Provost Fedock, beginning Fall Semester 2004,
the Wednesday before Thanksgiving will be a student holiday.
As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:05 PM.
Joann Amend, Secretary Warren Jones, Chair